06/08/2026
I've been lucky enough to witness several hunts on safari. To feel the adrenaline of the moment, but also its brutality.
The first time, I cried. Even now, I still find these moments difficult. It's easy to say "it's the circle of life," but when you're there, it's never that simple. Over time, I've learned to step back from the whole scene and focus on the details instead.
These photos were taken in Khwai, Botswana, during an unforgettable safari morning.
A large pride of lions had surrounded a herd of buffalo. The adults fought back fiercely, but there were calves among them, and they became the easiest targets. The lions chased them inside the bush and they alk disappeared. We could only see a cloud of dust. After a while, lions started emerging one by one... without a kill. All the vehicles went towards them.
Our guide looked back at the bush and quietly said, "We're missing a few lions."
Within seconds, we were weaving through branches and thick vegetation until we reached a small clearing. And there it was just one metros away from us.
A young group of lions and a lioness standing over the tiny body of a buffalo calf that was still alive.
It was heartbreaking, raw and unfiltered. But it was also a privilege to witness nature exactly as it is... beautiful, powerful and, at times, incredibly harsh.
This November, I'll be back in this very same place with Wito Africa Safaris 🇨🇦🇹🇿🌍, leading a group of travel agents on their first safari in Botswana. I can't wait to share moments like these with them, because they remind us that the African wilderness is real, unpredictable, and humbling.
